Canine Cough

The classic symptom of Canine Cough is a persistent, forceful cough. It often sounds like a goose honk.

Some dogs with Canine Cough may show other symptoms of illness, including sneezing, a runny nose, or eye discharge.

If your dog has Canine Cough, he probably will not lose his appetite or have a decreased energy level.

Treating and Preventing Canine Cough

Canine Cough is an airborne virus and is very contagious. If you think your dog might have the condition, you must keep them away from other animals until at least one week after all cough symptoms have stopped.

Although most cases of Canine Cough will resolve without treatment, you may choose to visit your veterinarian for medications that may speed recovery or minimize symptoms during the course of infection. Many vets will recommend antibiotics to minimize the risk of secondary infection (although they are not necessary) and cough medicines which can certainly make you and your dogs’ lives easier.

Most dogs with Canine Cough recover completely within two weeks or so, though it can take up to four weeks in older dogs or those with other medical conditions.

There are three forms of vaccine for Canine Cough: one that is injected, one that is delivered as a nasal mist, and one that can be given by mouth. Although these vaccines may help, they do not guarantee protection against Canine Cough because it can be caused by so many different kinds of bacteria and viruses. Also, it is important to realize that neither form of the Canine Cough vaccination will treat active infections.

Canine Cough has a 7-10 day gestation period. That means that a dog exposed to the virus may not show symptoms for a week or more after having contracted it.

Canine Cough has a 7-10 day gestation period. That means that a dog exposed to the virus may not show symptoms for a week or more after having contracted it.

How does The Yuppy Puppy minimize the risk of spreading Canine Cough?

We see very few incidences of Canine Cough, and never this many, mostly due to our knowledge of symptoms, significant airflow through our daycare, and intense cleaning practices. However, outbreaks can still happen. When they do, we do our best to track down the source of the virus and contact the owners of any dogs who may have had contact with them. We increase our already stringent cleaning protocols to include Lysol’ing the air every hour, leaving the doors to outside open full time (including the big fenced roll-up door), keeping our exhaust fans on 24/7, and sending home ANY dog that exhibits symptoms. We have also started running misting fans with antiviral disinfectant during daycare non-operational hours.

We appreciate your trust and understanding as we work our way through this. Our goal is to be as completely transparent with everyone as we can without inciting panic. Despite its appearance, a typical case of Canine Cough is not life-threatening, and it tends to run its course in a few days to a week or so. But it is a disease that is frustrating for pets and caretakers alike.

If you would like some recommendations for immune boosting supplements, or over the counter cough suppressants, please don’t hesitate to ask.